Preparation for Sixth Form Study

10th July 2020Mrs L Johnston

At this time of year we would invite our applicants in to meet the Sixth Form team, sample some lessons and discuss our expectations for September. Unfortunately, that has not been possible this year so Mrs Johnston and Miss O’Neill have delivered their presentation virtually.

Sixth Form at King Edward’s Presentation

We hope you find the information we share with you useful and informative. If we have delivered our message as we intended you should get the sense that we are all craving some sort of normality and that we are really looking forward to welcoming students back in the new academic year. The original presentation without narration can be accessed here.

All students aiming to return to study with us should complete the Bridging/Transition work for all subjects they are considering at A Level. That work can be accessed here.

The 2020 GCSE cohort have experienced unprecedented events. We wish all of our students and applicants the very best for the Summer results.

Letter from Sarah

22nd June 2020Mrs L Johnston

Hi guys,

Wow how can this be the last newsletter of the year?  What a year, I’m sure none of us will forget 2020.

It has been great keeping in contact with so many students in sixth form during lockdown and what I’m always struck by when I’m speaking to our lovely sixth form students is that I’m asking them how they are doing, but every single one always asks me how I am doing and how my world is!  This is such an amazing quality of our sixth form students.  We have known so many of you since lower school and watched you grow and mature into thoughtful and caring young adults.

I think one of the key messages during lockdown has been to check in on each other frequently and see how the people around us are doing and I know how well you have done that.

This empathy and kindness is something for us all to keep passing forward as we continue to support each other and spread happiness, positivity and hope.

I’m touched by all of the thank you’s that we have received, but we truly thank you for trusting us and allowing us to support you on your journey.

The counselling service continues to remain open, please just get in touch if we can help you at all [email protected] and we try to spread mindful positivity and mental health updates on our twitter https://twitter.com/t3rcounselling

 

Wishing you a lovely summer.

Sarah (and all the team)

Getting your own ‘Cheer Squad’

17th June 2020Mrs L Johnston

We all need cheerleaders.

Think about your world – who are the people who say ‘well done?’ Who picks you up
when you are down and helps you go again? Who celebrates with you? Who nods or
winks or smiles in your direction when you look around to see who’s with you?

These past months have been immensely difficult. In different ways and to varying
degrees we have all experienced worry, loss, disappointment – and some of these
have grown into sustained anxiety, grief, anger and frustration. None of these are
easy emotions to carry around with us.

As we look to the Summer, some of us to receiving grades, others to making big
‘next step’ decisions, others to a return to whatever ‘normal’ will look like, we, more
than ever, need to surround ourselves with people who will walk with us, cheer us
on, remind us to care for ourselves and give us the strength, laughter and hope we
need. We also need to be those people for others.

In our well being sessions on building Emotional Resilience this year, we looked at
how important it is to know who the people are who are on your side no matter what.
We also explored what it might mean to be a Sixth Form community which supports
and helps each other, even, and especially, in the face of worry, fear and
uncertainty.

Here are some of the phrases the current Year 12 community came up with – they are for us all.

Focus on the positives

Just breathe It will be OK

It’s not the end of the world

Don’t worry

It’s going to be alright

Just be positive and you’ll succeed

Get some help if you’re struggling

You’re better than you know

Your grades do not define you

You don’t know what can happen if you don’t try

Which of these phrases might be ones you choose to carry with you as we walk into
the next season of our lives? Could you write it out to have on your wall? On your
phone? Which of these phrases might be ones you send to others – could you write it
for them in a message, on a card, in a sketch?

The idea that we are a Sixth Form community is a big one. It takes us outside of our
own private journey and opens us up to giving and receiving support, care and
encouragement on our journey together.

We all need cheerleaders. We are each others cheerleaders.

Get practising today!

 

Beth

Check out the Instagram page @holdingtreasure to add a short reflection time into each day.

My Week of Work

4th June 2020Mrs L Johnston

The Summer Term is traditionally a time for work experience placements; this year that will not be possible. However, The Careers and Enterprise Company, along with their partners have put together a fantastic week of Careers activities that can be ‘meaningful encounters’.

Student Guide 

There will be two programmes running across the week:

Programme One is an online learning experience; 20 lessons across the week delivered via the Oak National Academy website. These will go Live on Monday, the full time table is in the student guide.

Programme Two: these are live Q&A sessions with employers hosted by Learn Live. Possibly more suited to older students, anyone interested should register for a place. These will only run at the scheduled time; full details are in the student guide.

Parent letter can be accessed here.

Senior Students 2020

19th May 2020Mrs L Johnston

The Senior Students play an important role in the life of our school and Sixth Form. The Senior Students are elected by both students and staff and are ambassadors for The King Edward VI School. Your Senior Students for 2020-2021 are:

Susu Anitche – Head Girl 

The subjects I am studying are Spanish, Drama and English Language

My ambition after Sixth Form is to either study Spanish at university or to do a Media/Broadcast Journalism Apprenticeship (which I would prefer!)

My interests are baking, music, video-games and anything movie related.

I want to be a senior student because I wanted to challenge myself and do something that I hadn’t done before while also having a positive effect on the school in the last year that I have.

My advice to current year 11’s is don’t stress over situations that you can’t control, you’re just putting yourself through the pain twice.

One of my favourite mottos/quotes is “the greatest glory in living lies not in never falling but in rising every time we fall” by Nelson Mandela.

 

Ellie Cape – Deputy Head Girl 

The subjects I am studying are History, French, Drama 

My ambition after Sixth Form is to study History at university.

My interests are gymnastics, drama, watching musicals/theatre, and cooking 

I want to be a senior student because I love communicating with different people and being part of a team to work towards something.

My advice to current year 11’s is don’t get too worked up about exams and try to find the joy in a stressful time – even though it can sometimes be hard.

One of my favourite mottos/quotes is “knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” by Aristotle

Niall Murtagh – Head Boy

The subjects I am studying are History, Geography, English Literature

My ambition after Sixth Form is to complete a degree in History and Politics

My interests are football, TV, film, football, the news, Middlesbrough Football Club

I want to be a senior student because I genuinely enjoy the school environment and appreciate the chance to contribute in a meaningful way

My advice to current year 11’s is retain consistency in your work-life balance and don’t panic

One of my favourite mottos/quotes is… ‘Don’t be afraid to have dreams… If you work hard enough and you’re not afraid to dream then you’re not afraid to fail.

I’m not afraid to fail. Everybody fails. I have had more failures than I’ve had success.’ by… Chris Coleman after Wales reached the semi finals of Euro 2016

 

Josh Williams – Deputy Head Boy

The subjects I am studying are Physics, Maths, Further Maths

My ambition after Sixth Form is to study Mechanical Engineering at University.

My interests are maths, trains, going on walks, travelling, and watching movies.

I want to be a senior student because I really enjoy public speaking and organising events.

My advice to current year 11’s is to chill. Remember that getting worried or stressing won’t affect the outcome of your exams. What helped me was listening to music, and doing revision outside in the fresh air.

One of my favourite mottos/quotes is “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.” Matthew 6:34 

What’s Your Driving Force?

5th May 2020Mrs L Johnston

Let’s be honest teenagers have a bit of a stereotype of lazing around in bed, getting up at midday and spending the afternoon and evening on social media or their XBox.

Now before you all jump up and down getting ‘angsty’ with me – I know that statement is not true. I know because I’ve read your personal statements and your CVs; infact in 12 years at KEVI that’s roughly 2700 personal statements! I know how hard you study, how many hours you work to save money, how much volunteering goes on, how much music and sport is played and how beautiful the art  and drama is that’s created. As a Sixth Form team we are blown away year on year by the commitments you make to give your time and energy.

What makes you do that? What’s your driving force?

If you know what your personal drive is, then right now you might be coping well in the lockdown. If you’ve struggled to find your driving force during Sixth Form, maybe struggled with decision making and focussing, then this strange new world we’re in may be really impacting on you.

Natasha Devon recently wrote an article for The Guardian, aimed largely at university students but I think it’s relevant to you too. She is an author and campaigner who works in schools, colleges and universities throughout the UK. She was also previously the government’s mental health champion for schools.

Natasha’s article is about how to knuckle down and keep focussed during the lockdown, and the importance of being motivated. Motivated people are successful. I don’t mean financially (although some may be), I mean they are fulfilled. They’ve identified what they want to achieve and got on with it. For that you need to know what your driving force is.

“The most common driving forces I encounter are a desire to make a difference, community and socialising, freedom and independence, fairness and justice, and competition.”

 

When I was in Sixth Form it was the environment, climate change, pollution and conservation. That drove me to study to be the first in my family to go to university, I wanted to save the world, starting with dolphins! I still care deeply about these issues but in a different way now. My driving force now is to provide for and protect my family.

She goes on to suggest ways of identifying your driving force (What item would you take to a desert island? What item would you rescue from a burning building? What situation makes you riled enough to fire off an “Annoyed of Morpeth” email?)

During the lockdown you’ve got time to think – probably a bit too much! And for the first time in about 15 years your day isn’t ruled by a bell. So what are you doing now you don’t HAVE to get up for school? Are you using your driving force? Are you trying to make yourself a better, rounder, more complete person?

I’ve sent out links to lots of online courses that you can access, that might be helpful. They’re not all academic! Some of them are based around specific skills. You could though be using this time to learn something new, there are amazing programmes on TV, Facebook and YouTube to teach you all sorts of new skills (along with Joe Wicks PE class and my online Pilates we’re also learning to play ukuleles in this house!). Employers of the future are going to want to know what you did with this time. Did you study (and for those of you off to uni in the Autumn this is important)? Did you work? Did you volunteer? Did you learn something about yourself? It’s up to you but choose something you can enjoy and find rewarding. Choose something that fulfils YOUR driving force.

Links:

Natasha Devon – The Guardian

Year 13 Employability Links

Future Learn

Open Uni

Edx

Coursera

University Text Books Online (check your uni course reading list first and see if you can get ahead of the game)

Buzz Quiz – Strengths and Weaknesses

 

Article by Fiona Long

Post 16 Student Mentor

Rhythm

22nd April 2020Mrs L Johnston

If you had to describe the rhythm of your days at the moment, I wonder what it would
be?

Slow, everlasting bass beats? Scurries of pitter patter, the odd cymbal crash every so often? Constant murmuring of off-beats? A bit of slow, a bit of slam, a few bangs, some fast beats and a whole mish mash?

From the steady and known structures of every day life, many of us are now left to
fend for ourselves – to set our own pace of the day, to make decisions about what to
do when. Many of us might not even feel able to make those decisions – exhaustion,
apathy, boredom might prevail… or perhaps there’s constant push-back against those
around us who want to structure our days for us, or inflict their pace on us.

In music, rhythm is what gives sounds form and cohesion. Melody and harmony and
improvisation entwine beautifully together because of how the rhythm brings a sense
of movement, continuity and flow.

It’s the same for our lives. Rhythm keeps us steady. It enables us to keep moving
forward, it makes basic decisions for us (we eat, we sleep, we work) and it allows us
to navigate curveballs that come our way (like unexpected life events, high-stress
events) and to enjoy breaks from the norm (like holidays, festivals and parties) – but
the norm is what keeps us ticking over – the rhythm of our lives keeps us going, and
growing.

At this time when so many of our known rhythms are gone – you get to choose your
rhythm (or mostly!) You get to choose fast or slow, work and rest, online/offline,
connection with people/embracing alone time.

Without a rhythm we can lose ourselves and oceans of time just scrolling, or
responding to every urgent need, or mindlessly staring.

With rhythm – you get to choose how to live, what you’ll do, and the person you want
to be. You get to choose to… create, to work, to rest, to play, to try real solitude, to
socialize well… you get to choose to be kind, thoughtful of others, generous – but to
do all this – you need rhythms that bring you alive and bring you life.

Perhaps, to start thinking about the rhythm you want to live in, – find a song you love
which has great rhythm to it. Pay attention to the beats, the speed, the different
melodies…how might how you spend your days relate to this rhythm? What are the
parts of your day you want to be ‘loud’, which bits will have a strong melody, which
bits will be more calm and quiet, what basic rhythms (like when you eat, sleep, rest and
exercise) will play on underneath you?

And as you find a rhythm emerge, notice in yourself how it can bring a sense of
peace as you trust your rhythm, a sense of movement rather than stagnation. Watch
how it brings you productivity and maybe even joy.

Enjoy creating your rhythm!

Beth

Check out the Instagram page @holdingtreasure to add a short reflection time into
the rhythm of each day.
I am still available to meet with students online on Tuesdays during school hours. Please contact me if you would like to talk [email protected]